The exact circumstances that led me to give Asamoah some gifts that day elude me. I had paid no particular attention to his shoes, and he had expressed no specific need for such. But often, personal effects that had lost favour with me albeit being in relatively good shape would be given out to some grateful allies of mine. And so it was with Asamoah who in this regard was a first timer.
I asked Asamoah what his shoe size was. He was uncertain. After a brief hesitation, we agreed that if after trying on a shoe, the size was right, he would know definitely know it. So I gave him two to try out. In an instant, his eyes lit up with eagerness. He tried one pair, stood up, gambolled up and down like a peacock and smiled. They fit perfectly. He then tried on the second pair. They also fit. Well, so he could keep them both if he so wished.
It was at that point that he made some pretty powerful statements, forcing me to reflect that perhaps, there was a lot I and many others often took for granted. Overcome by the weight of our daily commitments, overtaken by the speed of life’s multiple moving parts, and overwhelmed by life’s complexities, we barely have time to pause, catch our breath and hold the hands of a brother or sister in need.
Asamoah looked up at me and said, “Thank you very much. You have no idea how much you have really helped me!” Two shoes and he was already going into appreciation overdrive, I thought. I nodded silently. Soon, it became clear that Asamoah was not done with his thought-provoking deeds.
Gratitude
To demonstrate to me just how much of a difference the shoes made, he took off the old shoes he had worn to work that day, flipped one over and stuck his right forefinger deep into one of many holes in the sole! I could not believe that he had been wearing these raggedy shoes all this while; these shoes which could easily admit stones, thorns and dust, in total mockery of its protective role. Today, Asamoah wears his ‘new’ shoes with nothing short of great pride. Of the two pairs, he has labelled one an executive pair which has been reserved for special high-profile events.
To put things in perspective, I went into my shoe rack to vet the number of pairs of shoes that I had. Suffice it to say that compared to Asamoah, the number I counted embarrassed me. What was even worse was that of this number, I had not worn 70 per cent of the shoes in the last six months. As many close allies know, I hold those faithful select few shoes that I absolutely love very close to my heart, wearing them day and night until discharging them honourably.
It was also at this point that I reflected on one of those life conversations I often have with James Ziirah Salifu, a colleague at work. Speaking about how easily a simple act of kindness could improve another person’s life, he shared his own story. As part of his efforts to give back to his community in the Northern Region, he had taken to gathering his own used clothing etc., and sending them back home to be given out to children and adults. This, I was impressed to know, had been going on for many years. One day, Ziirah mentioned his philanthropic activities to a lady in his former organisation and made a request for any clothes or shoes she might want to give away.
The lady then invited him to her house where he had the shock of his life. She had over two full suitcases of brand new and slightly used shoes to give away. Suffice it to say, she had never worn a good number of these shoes before. She became such a blessing to the people in the village in ways she could never have imagined. Today, Ziirah has built a network that includes transport drivers who regularly transport bales of clothes and shoes and toys etc., to the village. This they do free of charge as part of their own contributions to touching other people’s lives.
In the midst of our daily struggles, sometimes, one yields to a tempting thought in a fleeting moment of weakness, self-pity and lamentations. You forget that you are actually well-endowed and not poor; that you are a victor not a victim; that you are in the position of a giver, not a receiver; one simply forgets that one needs not be a millionaire in order to make another man’s life better through giving. One also forgets that everyone has something to give others. Sometimes one simply forgets what Maya Angelou said a while back – that people may forget what you said but may never forget how you made them feel.
Today is a day of reflection and action. Give somebody a gift this weekend.
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